BENT'S CROSSBILL 521 



Cypress Hill region of southern Saskatchewan, where abundant in 

 June, 1894 and 1895, and again in 1908. No definite evidence of 

 breeding obtained, and I can find no published evidence of crossbills 

 in this region at any other season or any other year." 



I published (1908) the fact that I saw "a flock of 6 crossbills flying 

 over me among the pines in the Cypress Hills," on May 31, 1905. 



Allan R. PhiUips writes to me that he took a "young bird just 

 out of the nest from a family of three or more in a grove of tall ponder- 

 osa pines on the Hualpai Indian Reservation, Coconino County, Ari- 

 zona, October 7, 1948," and refers it to this subspecies. 



Griscom (1937) adds the following to its range: "As a non- 

 breeding vagrant it is of irregular occurrence eastward over the 

 Plains states to Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas (where it has been found 

 locally in abundance on several occasions). Much more rarely west- 

 ward to Oregon and California (Fort Crook and Mt. Pinos), Status 

 of the crossbiU in Utah still unknown, but the few specimens seen 

 are benti. Southward to New Mexico and the mountains of southern 

 Arizona (a notable irruption in Nov., 1885). 



"Accidental in Michigan (Lane Co., McMillan, Jan. 1, 1932), 

 Tennessee (New Found Gap, Oct. 2, 1932) and Texas (Galveston, 

 Nov. 21, 1924)." 



As the range of this subspecies is a part of what was formerly 

 considered to be the range of bendirei, much of what has been written 

 about the nesting and other habits of Bendire's crossbill should apply 

 as well to the present race. The habits of both are undoubtedly 

 similar. 



Nesting. — Dana P. Snyder and J. Frank Cassel (1951) have pub- 

 lished an account of the late summer nesting of this crossbill in 

 Colorado. The reader is referred to their paper for the details of 

 their observations. 



In their summary, they write: "A late summer Red Crossbill nest 

 in Colorado was 18 feet from the ground in a 20-foot lodgepole pine. 

 It was started on or about July 26. The first egg was laid on or 

 about July 29. The total clutch consisted of three eggs. 



"Incubation did not begin with the laying of the first egg but may 

 have begun with the laying of the second. 



"On August 7 (about the ninth day of incubation), the female was 

 on the nest continuously for 15 daylight hours except for six brief 

 periods totalling 26 minutes. While on the nest that day she was 

 fed three times by the male. 



"The nest was deserted on or about August 11. The eggs were 

 almost ready to hatch at that time." 



